


Just Breathe

by no1knowsiwritefanfics



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy AU, Lifeguard Galo Thymos, M/M, Mer!Lio, MerLio, Merman Lio Fotia, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24111790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/no1knowsiwritefanfics/pseuds/no1knowsiwritefanfics
Summary: A series of mysterious deaths have been appearing along the shoreline. The Foresight Foundation, a local aquatic research facility, recommends avoiding beaches until the cause of death can be found.Galo Thymos finds it hard to obey rules.-----------------------Just my attempt at a Merman Lio/Lifeguard Galo story.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 32
Kudos: 178





	1. A Story at Sunset

**Author's Note:**

> Happy MerMay, everyone! I love mermaids, I love Promare, how could I resist tackling this AU the fandom has come up with? This is just a short little chapter I wrote yesterday. I hope you all enjoy. Pardon any grammatical errors.

_"Another man was found dead along the shoreline yesterday evening. The body was discovered by local fishermen, who could not identify the mysterious markings on the corpse. An autopsy is being performed to discover the cause of death. The Foresight Foundation, a local aquatic research facility, recommends avoiding the waters until the cause of these deaths can be confirmed. We will continue reporting on developments as they become available. In other announcements, good news for cheese lovers--"_

With a loud exaggerated groan, Galo switched off the power to the old-fashioned AM/FM stereo beside him and relaxed back on the sandy shore. It was late Wednesday evening, and the usually busy beach was entirely empty. The gentle ocean waves occasionally reached far enough inland to lap against Galo's heels and ankles. The sound was soothing. Galo could rarely call his job soothing; he was a lifeguard, protector of the people, and usually, there were enough people that he couldn't afford to rest. Tonight, however....

Tonight, all sources recommended that no one go into the waters until it was declared safe. Something was terrorizing the beaches, and details were scarce. Human? Some sort of ancient sea creature? The Foresight Foundation seemed to know more than they were telling, and insisted that it was classified need-to-know information until the culprit had been apprehended. 

Aina would kill him if she knew he was out here. His boss would yell at him for weeks for it. And yet...

The setting sun lit the horizon with orange and red hues. Somewhere to his left, seagulls called out to each other. A sand crab scuttled from its hiding place and waved one massive claw in the air. The soft salty breeze combed through Galo's hair. His eyes drifted shut and he breathed deeply. It was a perfect evening, one where he didn't have to worry about young children drifting out too far or teens daring each other to leap from the cliffs into the ocean. How could he resist such a rare opportunity?

Time passed, and he floated somewhere between sleep and consciousness, simply enjoying the area he had loved since childhood.

It wasn't until the waters began brushing against his knees that he sat up and looked out over the shoreline. Night was descending quickly, and he really should go home. He ruffled a hand over his shaved undercut. Sand fell from it down his back.

He stuffed his stereo in his backpack, followed by his garishly loud orange and yellow lifeguard jacket. With one strap tossed haphazardly over one bare shoulder, he began his trek back to the wooden steps that led back to civilization--

Only to stop suddenly at a soft, whimpering cry. He tilted his head, trying to hear over the sounds of the waves. Surely, no one was out there--

And yet, another sobbing plea, followed by a barely audible cry for help. 

Immediately, Galo turned on heel and headed toward the rocky cliffs, where the sound appeared to be originating from.

"Hello?!" he shouted out. 

Instantly, the sounds vanished, and he tilted his head. "I'm a lifeguard here on the beach. I can help, if you can just tell me where you are."

The rocks were slippery against the base of the cliff, and he struggled to keep a careful balance. He pressed his body against the vertical rocks and maneuvered his heels into secure steps. The rocks took a sharp curve out into the ocean before dipping inward, into a small rocky indent along the cliff side, carefully hidden from the beaches. 

Galo squinted his eyes in the rapidly encroaching darkness, trying to see any hidden person that could be in danger. Teenagers were known to hide in this area and get trapped by the nightly tide. Yet, no one was immediately visible. 

"Is anyone here? My name's Galo Thymos, and I can help." His voice echoed against the rocks, and he looked straight up the tall, imposing cliffs. The very tops of the Foresight Foundation building could be seen above, a looming white structure overlooking the ocean and its beaches. What he would give to know what was going on inside that structure, what they knew about the life in his beloved beaches--

Another panicked sob, this one muffled, snapped his attention back down. "Hello? Are you hurt?" His gaze landed on a rope tied around an automatic reeling mechanism. With a curious tilt of his head, he followed where it led behind a cropping of stone--

And blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. In a shallow pool of water, hidden in the shadows, there was a girl, early twenties from the looks of it, tangled within the automatic net. Her lower half was concealed within the murky waters beneath her. From the waist up, she was nude. Her skin was tan golden, and thick wild red hair flowed in beautiful waves over her shoulders and bare breasts. 

Immediately, Galo blushed and turned away. "Hey, uhh-- I know the peer pressure of skinny dipping and all, but uhh--" He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, wincing. "Where are your clothes? I can go get them for you."

When there was no answer, he glanced back at the girl....

And noticed, for the first time, the fear in her bright green eyes. Thick tears flowed down her cheeks, and she cowered against the cliff side at her back.

Galo lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "Look, it's okay. I'm not going to call the cops on you or anything! I'm just trying to help. Here, let me get you out of that net, okay?" He retrieved his backpack and pulled a folding knife from the front pocket. Flipping his wrists like he'd practiced when he was young, the blade folded outward, catching on the rapidly fading light.

The girl cried out, throwing both hands over her mouth and shaking her head. 

"Whoa, whoaaa!" Galo exclaimed, again holding out his hands in a peaceful manner. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm trying to help." He awkwardly stepped closer to her, careful not to slip on the slick surface beneath his feet. "Are you from around here? Do you speak English? I can speak a little Japanese, but that's about it..." 

The girl raised both her trembling forearms in defense, and for the first time, Galo noticed what appeared to be golden scales littering the skin of her arms and shoulders. From her forearms emerged what could only be described as fins, fanning out slightly like blades with sharp spikes as structure. They were directed at him in what appeared to be a warning, and for the first time, he felt a thrill of unease creep over his spine.

But that didn't make sense, did it? He shook his head, rationalizing that he was being rude for staring at what could very well be a physical deformity. "I'm going to cut you out of there, okay? Do you understand?"

Her nose flared as she inhaled sharply. At the same time, gill-like slits opened and closed along her neck. And then she nodded, a fast and jerky up and down of her head. Her arms lowered, yet the muscles were still tense as though ready to fight if need be.

Galo had to get into the muddy shallow waters to kneel beside her. The soft mud squished uncomfortably between his toes. Slowly, he gathered the net from her shoulder. Her watery, unblinking eyes watched him.

Even with his sharp blade, it was a struggle to cut through the tough rope, but he managed it. Soon, her arm was free from the net.

"Almost got it! You'll be free in no time." He grinned at her. 

For the first time that night, her lips curled into a cautious, yet hopeful smile. 

Encouraged by the increasing trust, he cut through another bit of rope, which caused the net to fall from her head over one shoulder.

Something large slithered within the mud. Startled, Galo sat back and looked down. Beside him was -- well, he wasn't sure what he was looking at. A large snake? A fish? It was scaled green with red and gold hues shimmering within the mud. The end fanned out in a large, elegant fin. Dimly, he thought, if it were a fish, it would be a beautiful one. His gaze trailed back up, his brain struggling to comprehend this odd situation.

At first, he thought whatever it was had eaten her lower half. But -- no. that didn't seem right. It was attached to her. "What the hell--" he muttered. He looked up to see the fear had returned to her expression. Her forearm lifted again, presenting those sharp spikes along her forearms. They weren't deformities, no. This was--

But no. These things were myths, they didn't exist.

In awe, without thinking, Galo raised his hands to touch the gem-like scales that decorated the skin of her forearm--

Like lightening, she lashed out, her sharp spikes and razor-like forearm fins catching on his left arm and dragging down to cut open his flesh. He gasped at the pain and fell back as she slithered from the net faster than humanly possible. With his body blocking the way out into the ocean and panic clouding her mind, she just managed to pull herself further inward, coiling up against a dark rocky cropping inland. "Please don't hurt me!" she shouted out, folding herself up.

Galo looked at his wound, which was currently bleeding heavily. She'd managed to cut him from his shoulder down to below his elbow. Luckily, it didn't seem to hit any major arteries. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and with a curse, he pressed his hand against the injury. "I'm not going to hurt you. Are you--" He swallowed, his tongue feeling thick in his mouth. "Are you a mermaid?" With her body out of the muddy pool, he could see her better, even if she was concealed by the dark. Her tail matched the rest of her in its gem-like emerald and golds.

She didn't answer except to whimper, half hiding her head behind her bent tail.

"Here, look." He jerked the jacket out of his backpack and held it out to her. "Let me help." She didn't move as he approached as innocently as a man of his muscular stature could. With deliberate movements, he draped the jacket over her shoulders. "See? I don't want to hurt you." He smiled.

And again, with cautious hope, the girl half-grinned back. Her head ducked further within the fabric as though to cover the shy expression. 

"Are you injured at all?" he asked. "I think I have a first aid kit still in my backpack somewhere--"

His words were cut off as something heavy slammed against his torso. His head roughly hit the rocky ground as he was tackled downward. The breath left his lungs. His vision swam to focus on his unexpected attacker.

The man above him was ethereal, his lime-blonde hair framing his elegant features like a heavenly halo. Inhumanly violet eyes glared down at him as he bared shark-like teeth in a hissing threat. Within his hands was a crude blade made of stone, which he pressed against Galo's throat.

"Thyma," the man said in a surprisingly deep voice. "Are you hurt?"

"No, Boss," she answered.

The man's harsh glare softened slightly in relief. "Go home. I'll make sure you aren't followed."

Galo blinked, suddenly feeling nausea pool within his stomach. He shook his head as his vision doubled. The wound on his arm was throbbing with heavy spasms of pain.

The woman moved closer to them and placed a hand on the man's shoulders. "I attacked him. On his arm. I'm sorry."

A look of concern crossed the man's expression, and his gaze darted from Galo's injury back to his face. "It will be fine. Go home."

She nodded, looking quickly down at Galo with worry before ducking out of sight. From somewhere nearby, he heard a splash and then silence.

Galo felt--- lightheaded. Dizzy. Sleepy. A headache was forming in his temples. He licked his lips, and his tongue felt thick. He didn't realize his head was drifting to the side till the man used his blade to direct Galo's face forward again.

"What's wrong with me?" Galo asked. His words slurred.

The man sighed. His hardened gaze was tinted with pity. "You've been poisoned. You'll be dead within a few hours."

************************************************

Lio should have left him to die. That's what Guiera and Meis would have told him. One less human to worry about; one less human to capture them in nets and strap them to tables and cut them open.

And yet, he knew that the moral thing would be to take the high road. His people were not mindless killers like the humans. They would defend themselves, but they would not kill unnecessarily.

Lio examined the large man in front of him, whose dull eyes were struggling to stay focused on him. The human was young and muscular, with bright blue hair styled into sharp spikes. He could definitely be a threat. Yet despite the fact that this man could probably match the merman in terms of strength on land, he made no move to wrestle Lio off or fight back. No, instead, his expression reflected worry and fear.

This wasn't an evil human like the ones in their white lab coats. This was just a bystander.

With his mind made up, Lio tucked his knife back into the pouch at his side. He lifted the man's injured arm, examining the wound that was already turning slight shades of purple as the poison spread. 

It didn't appear to be too late. Good.

He leaned forward and cupped the man's jaw with his clawed, webbed hands. "I'm going to try to save you. When you think of today, know that we didn't let you die. We're not animals."

With those words, he closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and held the oxygen within his lungs. He tapped into the latent healing magic that existed within his people and imagined that healing ability infusing with the air molecules inside him. Sure, his race of merpeople carried within them lethal poison, but their breath could also carry the antidote to such deadly chemicals. They were protectors and healers as much as they were dangerous creatures. A chill rippled over his arms as he felt the energy respond.

He pinched the human's nose so that his mouth parted, then leaned forward to press his lips against the other man's. A small noise of surprise whimpered out of the poisoned person's. His lips were warm and chapped against the merman's. Lio placed his free hand against the broad torso beneath him. With all the power within his thin frame, Lio pushed the healing air from his lungs into the human's, feeling the man's chest rise with the transfer. He held it there, saying a silent prayer that it would take.

Lio leaned back, frowning at the confused look on the other man's face. The human blinked, slowly exhaling as he studied the merman that had just -- from his viewpoint, at least -- kissed him. Lio trained his face into an emotionless expression, carefully concealing the rapid beating of his own heart.

At this point, it was out of Lio's hands. He had done all he could do, and time would tell if the healing breath worked. It would take a few hours for the poison to be destroyed in his body, if it could be destroyed. Knowing that the more time he spent out of the water, the more danger he was in, Lio moved to retun back to the ocean and his people--

When a large hand curled around his thin wrist.

Immediately, Lio spun around and bared his teeth. "Let go," he hissed.

The man complied instantly, eyebrows raising with surprise. "S'rry," he muttered. "Will I see you again?"

"What?!"

"Please?" He tried to smile, but it was tempered by his own failing consciousness. He swallowed and struggled to focus on the merman. "You're beautiful."

Lio wasn't quite sure why he suddenly cared for this human's survival. His hand curled around the human's in a comforting gesture. "Get some rest, human. Don't die if you want to see me again."

"'Kay," was the simple answer. And with that, the man's eyes fluttered closed.

Lio's sharp claws trailed over the human's cheeks. He scoffed at his own sentimentalities. Maybe his generals were right, he was too soft. With an amused roll of his eyes, he returned back to his home.


	2. Two Sides of the Same Ocean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:  
> 1) Writing this chapter was a bitch, but I had to get through it. It's a lot of necessary connecting the dots till a much more exciting chapter.  
> 2) I didn't have anyone proofread this, and hell, I hardly proofread it. Just here. Enjoy lol.  
> 3) When Mermaids speak their own language, it will be indicated by italics.

Thyma was waiting on Lio when he returned to the ocean. She had traveled a safe distance down, till no moonlight risked exposing them to night-bound fisherman. They were creatures built for the dark anyway; their eyes dilated to a haunting black when light was scarce and allowed them to see in the dark depths.

As Lio approached, she clutched her hands before her chest and bowed lowly. Her thick Auburn hair hovered in the current. _“I’m so sorry!”_ She cried in her native tongue; a language made to be spoken underwater, comprising of vowel intonations and clicks and hums. _"Please forgive my error! It won't happen again."_

_“It’s fine, Thyma. No one was captured.”_

She raised her dark eyes to his, pleading. “ _I was just so hungry, and you know the situation at home.”_

He did know, frustratingly well. The humans had been dumping more strange chemicals into the areas near their homes. It tainted the aquatic life and their own food source, forcing them to drift further and further outward in their search for food.

To make matters worse, his people were also being hunted by these same humans. Traps were placed further from the shoreline; hunters scoured the seas with high-tech devices and tranquilizers. These humans were driving them out and finding ways to catch them. If this continued, Lio would be forced to find his people a new place to settle, which would be a difficult task on its own, and especially since their group was already being tracked. On top of all that, if they left, they’d lose any chance of saving the ones that had already been captured.

Lio pushed the troubling thoughts from his mind and focused instead on the anxious woman before him. _“I won’t let any of you starve, Thyma. I promise. Meis and Guiera caught quite a bit of food for everyone this afternoon. Things will be okay.”_

_"You think so?"_

_"I know so."_

_“And the human?”_

He waved one hand dismissively. _“He’s fine; He’ll live.”_

Her relief was tangible as she slouched forward, breathing out tension. _“Oh, thank goodness, I thought I had killed him.”_

Lio quirked one eyebrow upward in amusement and hooked a claw along the collar of the bright orange and yellow jacket she wore.

 _“Oh. Yeah,_ ” she said, “ _He put this on me when I told him not to hurt me. I think it was supposed to comfort me? Boss, I don’t think he was going to harm me. He seemed really nice.”_

The amusement left him quickly. He released his hold on the jacket and sighed. _“It’s difficult to predict what a human will do. They’re driven by greed, power, and wealth.”_

_“Yeah, but he said he rescued people!"_

Lio frowned. _"We're not people to them. We're just creatures, no different than experiments."_

Her body sank lower as she considered that. _"Oh. He thought I was human…"_

He hummed a noncommittal response. _"We do resemble them at first glance. His sympathy extended to you because he thought you were like him."_

But was that true? The blue-haired human hadn't tried to fight back even when tackled. Why?

It didn't matter. Even if the human truly was kind, Lio needed Thyma to believe the opposite. She was young and naive. She hadn't experienced loss like the others had. Any human that extended any kindness to her could easily betray her, and Lio needed to protect all his people.

 _"I didn’t mean to attack him like that,"_ She said. _"He just surprised me, and I panicked."_

 _"You only did what was natural to protect yourself. There's no need to feel guilty."_ He gathered her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. _"I'm glad you're safe. Now let's return home, shall we? I bet the others are worried sick."_

The mermaid smiled at the affectionate gesture from her leader. _“Have you eaten?”_ she asked. _“I can fix your dinner tonight. It would be my thanks to you for saving me!”_

Lio grinned and ruffled her already wild hair. _“You don’t need to do that.”_

_“I want to, Boss! Please?”_

_“Fine, fine,”_ he said. “But I’ll have to get rid of that jacket. You’re a swimming target with that thing.”

_“Aw, really? I can’t keep it?”_

_“The humans could see you from a mile away with that.”_

_“Only because I look spectacular.”_ When her response only earned her a dry eyebrow raise, she stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. _“Okay, I’ll part with it.”_

Lio decided he’d get rid of the jacket within the next few days. And it definitely was NOT because he wanted an excuse to go to shore.

***********************************  
Galo woke up alone on the rocky shoreline as the sunrise broke over the horizon. The stone beneath him was cool against the bare skin of his back. He squinted against a headache and the encroaching light as brief flashes of the previous night returned to him.

A mermaid.

A merman?

Injury and Poison.

A kiss?

He swallowed past the dryness in his mouth and raised his arm upward toward the sky. A nasty wound was still carved into his skin. Bluish-purple lines snaked from the raw cut, certainly brutal enough to leave a scar.

Maybe he should tell someone, but who would believe him? Hell, he wasn’t even sure if he believed himself. The previous night was a blur.

One thing he could still see clearly though:

Two bright irises, violet with deep shades and flecks of peach and pink, inhuman in both their shade and how the light reflected from him.

Two violet eyes with both a steely resolve and concern -- Looking directly at him.

********************************************

Aina Ardebit had been friends with Galo Thymos for a long time. They'd met each other in their freshmen high school gym class when both had been declared captain of their respective teams. It escalated into a year-long loud and furious rivalry, full of boisterous declarations and, on one rather memorable occasion, a ten-minute Powerpoint presentation on why exactly Galo’s team was superior.

The rivalry then evolved into a close friendship.

Aina had been with Galo when his high school crush called him homophobic slurs and broke his heart. She’d seen his blinding joy when Kray Foresight had given him the job as a lifeguard through recommendation. She knew her friend better than she knew her family.

This was why, when Galo had joined her and Lucia for lunch, she immediately knew something was off.

The three sat on an outside deck that overlooked a beach-themed tourist shopping district. The area was popular for its nautical theme, and because it was perfect beach weather-- warm yet breezy, the skies a vivid blue with white feathery clouds as decoration -- the area was busy with life. Teens with roller skates weaved through the crowds as local musicians tried to hand out CDs to overwhelmed vacationing families. Fast food trucks and kitsch restaurants provided numerous options for the indecisive shopper.

Aina slid her sunglasses over her eyes and propped her feet against the empty seat at their table. "I can't wait till tourist season is over."

"I like them," Lucia said, smiling like a crazed villain. "They're like walking human caricatures in a bizarre sitcom."

"I like my sitcoms firmly in the tv world. Isn't that right, Galo?" When there was no response, she lifted her sunglasses to examine her friend.

Galo was preoccupied with a single thick-cut french fry he absently poked into ketchup. The end of the fry had been soaking in the condiment for five minutes by that point and had morphed into a soggy mess.

"Earth to Galo!" Lucia cried, waving a hand out. "Has your brain finally been taken by aliens for testing?"

With a start, Galo's eyes darted to his two friends. He sighed, dropped the fry, and ran a hand over his unruly spikes of hair. "Ugh, sorry. What were you saying?"

“That Superman could 100% defeat Goku in a fight,” Lucia declared brightly.

“Oh.” Galo nodded, popped a fry in his mouth, and turned to stare blankly at a herd of nearby tourists. “Yeah.”

Both Lucia and Aina exchanged concerned glances.

“Galo,” Aina said, softening her voice. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sure, why wouldn’t I be?” He rubbed a hand absently over his bandaged arm. “I’m always okay.”

Lucia cleared her throat and stood. “Okayyy,” she drawled. “Well, I’m going to get a refill. You two want anything?”

Galo shook his head no. Aina held her cup in the air to be collected as Lucia passed.

With just the two of them left, Aina leaned forward. “So are you gonna tell me what happened to your arm?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Oh come on, you know you can tell me anything.”

“It sounds crazy.”

“Try me.”

He sighed, leaning forward and matching his friend’s posture. “Okay, so do you believe mermaids could exist?”

Aina wasn’t sure what she expected him to say, but that certainly was not it. She blinked slowly. “What.”

“Like, okay, last night, I was on the shoreline by myself--”

“Galo!”

“I know, it’s dangerous, but listen. I was leaving, right? And I heard this cry for help, so of course I tracked it, and there was this girl caught in this net. I was going to cut her free, but then I realized that she had a mermaid tail, Aina! She was a mermaid!”

Another slow blink. “Okay, I take back what I said before. You are crazy.”

“It happened, okay?! I freaked her out, and she cut my arm open. And then this other merperson showed up, but it was this young guy. He was super pretty, Aina. You’d just have to see him. He was thin and had this blonde hair and his eyes were entirely inhuman.” Galo paused for a second before shaking his head. “Anyway, I think I was dying somehow. And this merman just leaned forward and kissed me to save me.”

Aina leaned back into her seat. “So it sounds to me like you passed out on the shoreline and had a weird sex fantasy dream. I absolutely regret asking now.”

Lucia shuffled behind Aina’s chair to return to her seat. “What’d I miss?”

“Galo thinks mermaids exist,” Aina replied dryly, reaching for her refilled drink. “And one kissed him last night.”

“The merMAN kissed me! Not the mermaid.”

A manic gleam appeared in Lucia’s eyes as she grinned her shark-toothed smile. “Hmm. It’s certainly possible for merpeople to exist,” she mused. “But they’d probably be cruel, hairless predators more akin to monsters than Disney. So if one did kiss you, you’d probably have the scars to show it.”

Galo presented his injured arm and waved a hand over the bandage.

“Undeniable proof, Aina,” Lucia said. “Galo kissed a shark and was totally into it.”

With an indignant stutter, Galo pointed to the smaller mad scientist. “Wait, no, it wasn’t a shark, and I didn’t say I was into it, I just said--” His arms crossed as he slouched back into his chair. “You know what? Forget it. I knew neither of you would take it seriously.”

A moment of regret passed over Aina’s expression. She opened her mouth as though to say something, but when no right words came to mind, she simply took a sip of her drink and looked back over the pier.

Nearby, a crowd was gathering around a focal point. Gradually, the blonde hair of Governor Kray Foresight could be seen over the heads of tourists. Phones were lifted over heads as a local tv crew attempted to catch the attention of the tall local celebrity.

“Yo, is that the Gov?” Galo said, immediately perking up. And then, shouting over the crowds: “Hey, Gov! It’s me! It’s Galo!”

Foresight slightly turned his squinted gaze toward their small group, and Galo relaxed back in his chair with a cocky smile. “Yeah, he totally recognized me. We’re like this.” He crossed his fingers together.

“Think he knows you make out with local sea life?” Lucia asked, not bothering to look up as she typed out a message on her phone.

As her two friends dove into a light-hearted and teasing fight, Aina absently looked out at the worshipping crowds. At least Galo was talking again...

Even if he was a little crazy.

***************************************

That evening, Galo found himself by the ocean’s edge once again. He retraced his steps from the night before: Along the beachline, around the rocky cliffside, and into the semi-incave. His eyes squinted out over the water, watching light flickering across the surface, and then turned to the rocky crevasse around him.

He wasn’t even sure what he was looking for. Some proof he wasn’t insane?

The netting was still there with a hole messily hacked into it. There were marks where mud had been disturbed, but nothing solid enough to be incriminating.

With a steady exhale, Galo picked up the empty net, leaned against a large rock, and slid to the ground.

“I don’t know if you’re out there,” he said to no one in particular. “But if you are--” His hands fiddled absently with the netting. “Thanks for letting me live. I guess it would’ve been pretty easy to just drown me or whatever since I was pretty messed up toward the end there.” He raked a hand through his hair and laughed humorlessly. “Hell, I don’t know if my arm will ever heal. Not that I blame her or anything! She seemed scared, and I’m told I come across too strong, so I’m sure that freaked her out. She was just defending herself. No hard feelings.” His head leaned back against the rock behind him. “I hope she’s okay.”

The waves lapped steadily against the rocks, lulling and peaceful. Galo closed his eyes. “I’ve always wanted to help people ever since I was a little kid. I used to dream about being a hero, like a firefighter that fought super-powered flames, or a suited-up pilot of a Gundam robot that battles evil. I guess a lifeguard is still kinda heroic, huh?

“You know, my parents were killed while out at sea when I was a kid. That’s what made me want to be a lifeguard. They worked for the Foresight Foundation, doing some sort of scientific research for the Governor. I don't know all the details. The Gov helped me after that, helped me find a place to stay and got me my current job. I owe him a lot. I spent most of my childhood hopping from foster home to foster home, but he was the only real family I ever had. I try not to let it get to me too much, why no one ever wanted to take me in and all that. I mean, the Gov cared about me! And how many people get to claim THAT? So I guess I'm pretty lucky after all, right?”

At the lack of response, Galo fell quiet. He absently tangled his fingers within the net. “Do merpeople have families? Dreams and jobs and all that? Seems like the ocean could be a pretty cruel and lonely place…"

Although only the rhythmic lull of the ocean answered him, Galo looked out once more over the ocean and felt, for a moment, not quite so lonely in that moment.

*************************************

Lio hadn’t expected to see anyone when he swam to the shore to return the gaudy orange and yellow jacket. He wasn’t even sure why he felt the need to return the jacket in the first place.

Yet there, in almost the exact same place he left him, was the blue-haired human, alive and well.

For a moment, Lio hovered underwater and out of sight, just watching as the man merely examined the netting from the night before and sat on the rocks. He began talking then, and Lio struggled to locate who he was talking to. Someone hidden perhaps? But no-- there was no one there. Talking to himself then? Had he saved an insane human?

Lio swam around a cropping of rocks -- out of sight from any prying eyes -- and lifted his head out of the water to listen.

The human was talking about his life, about his job and childhood; about family and some person named Kray Foresight. He talked, and Lio listened…

And then the human asked about merpeople’s lives. Lio smirked to himself and rested his head against a nearby boulder. Why would a human ever care about a merperson’s life? In Lio’s experience, they were more concerned with experimenting on them.

Yet this man still asked, and Lio found himself wanting to answer.

The one-sided conversation moved on to the subject of the human’s friends, of Aina and Lucia and Ignis and what foods they liked and how long they all knew each other. It reminded the merman of his own friends, his own life in a parallel universe sort of way.

Lio wasn’t sure how long he stayed there, merely listening to this strange human monologue about anything that came to mind, but by the time the human stood to leave, Lio was overcome with the need to say something to him.

Instead, he merely rolled the drenched orange jacket into a ball and tossed it as hard as he could onto the cropping of rocks.

It landed with a dull wet thud near the other man's feet. Instantly, the human stopped, mumbled a slight, “Wha?” and turned on his heel. When the jacket caught his eye, he searched out the cause of the disturbance. Yet Lio remained carefully hidden, holding his breath as the human scooped up the jacket.

And then the man smiled widely as though discovering an amazing gift. He lifted the jacket in the air and shouted out, “Thank you! I’ll come here again tomorrow, okay?”

Why would he tell him that? Why should Lio even care?

Yet as Lio swam back to the depths, he couldn’t help but look forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Galo and Lio meet again.


	3. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a brief note:
> 
> When Merpeople speak underwater, they speak in their own native language.  
> On land, most of them can speak English.  
> There will be a bit more information on this later.  
> Enjoy!

It became a routine that neither had truly acknowledged to the other:

Every evening, at sunset, Galo would return to his hidden spot at the shore and talk about his life.

And Lio, concealed by the rocky shoreline, would hover near the water’s edge and listen.

From this exchange, he learned that humans were… interesting.

Or rather, this specific human was interesting. Galo seemed kind and selfless, words that Lio had never applied to humanity before.

Lio found himself wanting to tell Galo about his life as well, about his friends and familial unit, about how wonderful and smart and caring his people were; How beautiful they were when their scales glowed with phosphorescent light and they danced around each other to celebrate.

They were more than sharp teeth and poison and danger. Would Galo understand that? That they didn’t truly _want_ to harm humans, but they also had to defend themselves. If humans would just stop _hunting_ them, the merpeople would not be a threat.

Then Galo would start talking about the honorable profession of far-east fishermen, and Lio would allow the tension to just seep from his body, even if he had no idea what the other man was talking about 90% of the time.

The routine quickly became the highlight of Lio's day. After his duties were completed, he'd rush to the shore, eager to hear whatever mundane thing this human was so passionate about. 

Until the day Galo stopped coming. 

***********

Lio had never regretted being what he was. He loved his people, and he loved their culture and skills and the ocean. However, as his two generals discussed options, he had to admit that there were a few… inconveniences of his species. 

Namely, that lacking legs made it practically impossible to traverse dry land and recapture their captive people.

The room they were in had been repurposed from an abandoned cave and was practically bare, save for a few elegant wave designs carved into the stone and a singular table in the center. An abstract sculpture of seashells had been attached to one wall. It was a gift from one of the children, who insisted it was a sculpture of a flower that grew in shallow waters. Lio couldn’t see how it was meant to be a flower, but he praised the art anyway and hung it in the room.

The girl told all of her friends that their Prince displayed her gift in an important area.

That young girl and her family were among the ones missing. 

Guiera, one of his generals with spiked fiery red hair, tapped the table with a clawed finger. _“We don’t have much choice. We gotta retaliate, and if that means taking one of theirs, then that’s what we have to do!”_ One sharp final tap on the stone table emphasized his point.

_“And what do you suggest we do once we have that hostage?”_ Lio responded, his tone calm and even, one blonde eyebrow raised. _“Drown them? You can’t keep a human out at sea without a boat. They’ll need air. And if they do die, that will only give the humans more incentive to harm our people.”_

Guiera leaned back, his deep maroon scales glimmering dimly with the water’s reflection. _“What other options do we have, Boss? Getting on land is out of the question.”_

His other general hummed thoughtfully. Meis was a thin, rather quiet merman with long silky hair that concealed half his face. His scales were a deep navy that matched the shade of his hair. When the light hit them just right, they lit up in tones of royal and violet. His one visible eye was almost entirely black in the dark of the sea. _“What about that one cave you sometimes visit?”_ he asked Lio. _“The one you can only get to by going underwater? It wouldn’t be noticed by our enemies, and we could keep a human alive there.”_

Lio was still as he considered it. Sure, they could hypothetically hold a hostage relatively safe in that location, but still… _“I don’t like the idea of capturing an innocent.”_

_“Then capture someone guilty,”_ Meis smoothly replied. _“Sink a boat, and they would all be at our mercy.”_

_“And the rest of the humans on that boat would drown. I don’t like it. We’re not killers.”_

_“Well,”_ Guiera began. _“If not that, there is one other way.”_ He looked nervously at Meis, who returned the uncertain stare.

Lio lifted his eyes to meet the heavy gaze of his two closest confidants. Immediately he knew what they were referring too. _“No. That’s nothing but a rumor, and entirely too risky at that.”_

Both generals deflated a bit. Guiera sank downward with an exhale of bubbles. 

_“It may be risky, but it’s our only way to get on land,”_ Meis reasoned, steepling his pointed blue fingers in front of him.

_“No. I cannot unnecessarily risk more lives. Our numbers are dwindling as it is. There has to be another way.”_ Lio’s brows furrowed together. “ _Perhaps…_ ” He hesitated as his thoughts wandered to a certain blue-haired individual. _“We can reason. Humans are capable of intelligent thought, as we are. Surely some are capable of compassion as well. Have any of us actually come close enough to a human to speak to them?”_

_“I have,”_ Meis answered, his voice oddly more deadpanned than it typically was. His hand brushed back the veil of navy hair to reveal a deep-set scar over his brow and cheek. A white film covered his blind left eye and sat in stark contrast to the black of his working eye. 

The muscles in Lio’s jaw clenched. _“Right. I’m sorry, Meis.”_

_“It was a long time ago.”_ His fingers raked through his hair as it fell back in place. He sighed. _“Look, Boss, maybe there are humans out there that would be willing to help us, but we’d have to find them. And even then, you’d have to get them to listen to us long enough to gain their sympathy.”_

_“And we look like monsters to them,”_ Guiera chimed in. 

Lio winced. He hated it when the mer were compared to monsters. It was true that they looked quite different than the soft, elegant, and feminine mermaids that decorated the humans’ paintings and the fronts of ships. The members of their species had hard, clawed fingers, pointed teeth, and blade-like fins. They were built for self-defense in the sea -- Even sharks typically avoided them, and on the rare occasion they didn’t, many mer, like Guiera, wore a necklace of shark teeth as a symbol of their victory. 

The merpeople didn’t actively seek violence, but they were well-versed in protecting their own.

Well. They were, until their own was taken on land. And then they were helpless.

Lio clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. “ _I’ll get them back,”_ he promised.

_“We know, Boss,”_ Meis said, flashing a small grin. 

_“Never doubted it!_ ” Guiera agreed with a wide smile of his own.

A tentative tap at the entrance drew their attention. Thyma cautiously looked in, presenting a tray with three bowls. _"I thought you may be hungry."_

_"I'm starving!"_ Guiera exclaimed.

Meis rolled his eyes. _"You're always starving."_

_"Have the others eaten enough?"_ Lio inquired, eyeing the tray as Thyma entered. 

_"There was enough for today, yes."_ She handed each leader their small portion. _"And besides, it's important for you guys to eat too!"_

Each bowl contained squares of tuna coated in seeds and wrapped in seaweed. 

Guiera immediately grabbed his chopsticks and dug in. _"Did you make this?"_ He asked, barely covering his mouthful of food. _"'S really good!"_

Thyma's cheeks reddened. At one point in her past, she'd had an admittedly embarrassing crush on the redheaded mer. That faded over time and especially once he'd accepted Meis as his lifelong mate. However, simple compliments from him still brought a blush to her face. 

Meis was more subdued with his bites. _"This is good, Thyma,"_ he said, his lips curving into a smile. _"Thank you."_

Lio took a small bite, but his gaze was distracted. _"We'll need to gather more food tomorrow. We don't have enough."_

_“Let’s sink a boat and eat all the humans,”_ Guiera suggested.

Thyma wrinkled her nose.

_“We can’t eat the humans,”_ Lio stated evenly. _“They’d taste bitter.”_

Guiera barked a loud laugh as Meis snickered to his side. 

_“You guys are gross,”_ Thyma said.

Even Lio couldn’t help the small smile that graced his lips.

*******************************************

When Aina found out Galo had been going to the ocean every night in search of merpeople, she’d rolled her eyes and called him an idiot. Her voice was still the light, teasing tone it typically was, but there was a worried tint to her expression that gave him pause. Since then, he’d started feeling absurd with the situation -- especially since he’d seen no further evidence that the merpeople were out there. Maybe it was just all a crazy hallucination? Maybe he’d hit his head and scraped his arm?

And so, Galo stopped going.

He hadn’t been to the ocean in six days, which was probably a record for him. He’d grown up by the ocean’s side, enjoying summer with his feet in the gentle encroaching waves. Come winter, he’d wrap up in a heavy coat and sit near the pier late into the night. The stars always glowed brighter there. At one point, he’d tried to memorize the constellations, but he could never keep track of which star was which, so he instead just focused on their associated mythological namesakes. 

Wherever he went in the world, he knew he could never leave the ocean.

Galo also hadn’t been surfing in quite a while -- Probably months. His surfboard was still in pristine condition, as he’d made sure to maintain its condition over the years. Kray Foresight had bought him the board when he was thirteen. It was publicly gifted to him at a Christmas charity dinner. Afterward, Galo scraped up the funds to have an artist paint a custom image on the board of Galo’s choosing. And so he chose the Japanese water god, Suijin, surrounded by waves and a long dragon made of water. 

It was Galo’s favorite possession.

Surfing was always therapeutic to him. With his fauxhawk tied back into a ponytail, he could row out into the sea, catch a smooth-gliding wave, and surf for hours. 

With the beaches still cleared that day, that’s what he did. The wind caught in his hair and swept over his face, and he breathed it in deeply as he drifted over the surface of the water.

Time passed swiftly in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it, the sun had set. The waters had died down to a gentle rolling lull against the shoreline, and the stars glowed bright and clear above him.

Galo lay face down on his surfboard, one hand absently trailing against the water’s surface. He really should go home -- It was getting late, and they still weren’t sure what murderous creature was out in the waters. Maybe it was curiosity that was making him stay. After all, he could tackle the creature and save the town! No sea monster could compete with the great Galo Thymos!

Or maybe it was just the calmness of it all away from the busy tourists.

Whatever it was, Galo didn’t move from his spot immediately. He calmly let the gentle motions wash away the stress of the day as he breathed in the salt air. 

And when he opened his eyes and looked down at the ocean, he found himself staring at an oddly familiar face beneath the surface of the water: Inhuman violet eyes gazed back at him behind long lashes. Lime-blonde hair waved in the gentle current and occasionally flowed over the handsome face. A soft smile curved at the creature’s lips. And then he was gone, sinking deeper until he vanished in the darkness below.

“Wait!” Galo exclaimed as he sat up quickly. “Wait, come back! I just want to talk with you!” His heart pounding, he looked around for any disturbance nearby. Silence answered him.

Making sure to keep his limbs out of the depths below, he leaned forward to see if the creature had gone under his surfboard. “I won’t hurt you. My name’s Galo Th--” His words were cut off with a splash as he toppled into the waters below. 

Galo ignored the sting in his eyes as he tried to see under the surface. Bubbles caught on his eyelashes. Then -- there, a flash of black scales, glowing slightly with pink and teal tones, gone before his brain could catch up to his vision. Chills that had nothing to do with the cold waters trailed down his spine, and he made a muffled, panicked noise as he swam quickly upward. He broke the surface and inhaled a deep satisfying gulp of air. The silence was suddenly deafening compared to underwater, which made him all the more nervous.

“Are you looking for me?” 

The voice came from behind him. He released a rather embarrassing shout as he spun to face the creature behind him -- who looked vaguely amused by his actions.

“You -- You’re real?!” Galo stated, blinking the saltwater away from his eyes.

From what he could see, the creature before him looked almost human, save for a few distinguishable features -- His ears, for example, were spread into pointed fins that were black with shades of teal and pink visible in the membrane between the darker spiny support. What could only be gills lay flat on the sides of his neck. Occasionally, when he breathed in, they would part, revealing a deep teal within. Scales littered his forearm, congregating into dark black fins that matched his ears. 

And most disturbing of all, there were the pointed teeth that made every instinct in Galo’s body shout to _get out of there_.

Yet-- There was something about the merman. His stare was hard, determined even, yet there was also a softness there that was comforting. His posture was relaxed and unthreatening, his arms skimming lightly against the water. Galo found himself inexplicably drawn to the creature.

“Is that thing important to you?” the creature asked with a jerky motion of his head.

Galo turned and, with a stab of panic, saw his surfboard drifting further and further out to sea. “Nonononono, Shit!” He immediately started swimming to reclaim his prized possession--

Only for a splash behind to distract him. 

The merman had vanished again.

“DAMMIT!” Galo growled, rubbing the shaved sides of his hair in frustration. JUST when he had found him again! 

Okay, fine, first things first. May as well save what he could. He turned back for his surfboard…

But it was already rapidly heading his way, seemingly on its own. “What the--” Galo blinked as though to clear his vision.

A blonde head popped out of the water next to it, pulling the surfboard alongside.

A bit stunned by the weird succession of events, Galo could just respond with an, “Oh. Thanks.”

The merman propped his forearms on the board with a curious tilting of his head. “You’re slow.”

“Hey, I’m a great swimmer! Top of my class!”

The merman smirked as though he had said something infinitely amusing. 

With his pride stung, Galo decided to change the subject. “You can speak English.”

The creature waved away the question with nonchalance. “It was taught to us by a kind human. We passed on the knowledge to one other. Our language is better understood underwater. Your language is better spoken above water.” As he spoke, he illustrated the words with his hands, lifting one, then the other. “Both are useful, so we learn both.” There was a very slight accent and odd inflection to the words, but otherwise, the mer spoke English fluently. 

“That’s amazing!” Galo exclaimed. “Maybe I could learn to speak mermaid! And there are more of you?!”

“There are.”

“OH! And your friend-- is she okay?”

The merman eyed him critically, as though searching for something in Galo’s expression. After a moment, his gaze shifted, as did the tension in his shoulders. “She’s fine. It was not our intent to harm you, only to protect ourselves. We don’t normally associate with humans.”

“Why not?”

“Humans are cruel.”

“Oh. Not all of us though, right? Like, you don’t think I’m cruel, do you?”

“Not currently, no.” The merman’s lips spread into a sharp, predatory grin, all his teeth on display. “And if you were, you’re in the water with me right now. I could easily outswim and drown you.”

Galo laughed a jittery, nervous laugh. “You’re, uh… you’re not planning that, are you?”

“No.” He relaxed his chin on his crossed arms.

“Oh, well, cool! I mean, I could probably take you on and everything! They don’t call me Galo Thymos, World’s #1 Lifeguard for nothing!” His fist pounded against his muscular chest with a cocky smirk.

The merman scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I know who you are. You announced it every day at the shore for days.”

“Whaaa--- You actually heard all of that?!”

“How could I not? You were the loudest thing for miles.”

A blush blossomed over Galo’s cheeks. “I mean! No one else was on the beach, so…”

“I was there.” The merman smirked and placed his fingertips against his chest. “My name is Lio,” he said. “Leader of the Fotia Clan of Merpeople.”

Galo blinked a few times before extending his hand. “Nice to meet you, Lio!” 

Lio examined the offered appendage with suspicion. His eyes narrowed. 

“Oh, right, it’s a human gesture,” Galo explained. “Here, let me see your hand.”

Lio hesitated before mimicking the gesture. The muscles in his shoulders tensed as though preparing to retreat if need be. 

Galo rested his elbows on the surfboard and wrapped his fingers firmly around the merman's much smaller palm. "It's a greeting, see?" He gently moved his wrist in a handshake. 

Lio stared at the connection, lips tightened into a thin line. With a soft hum, his fingers slowly splayed out until he was palm-to-palm with the human in front of him. Being so close to each other made the differences in their physiology more apparent. Lio’s skin was thicker and lacking pores. He didn’t quite have fingernails; Instead, the ends of his fingers grew hard into a claw-like exoskeleton -- a weapon, if the intent were there. Like the rest of the scales littering his pale skin, the claws on his hands were a light-reflecting onyx. A webbing spread from each of his first knuckles -- Enough to make a difference when swimming, but not enough to get in the way of his movements.

Galo’s gaze flickered back to Lio’s and smiled like the sunlight; A red spiritedness flickered in his pupils. “This is incredible! I knew you were real, I just knew it! Wait till I tell Aina, she’s going to flip!”

With a sudden flinch, Lio jerked his hand away. “Aina?”

“Oh, it’s fine, she’s my friend!”

“No.” His lip curled slightly over sharp teeth. “You can’t tell anyone about me. It puts my people in danger.”

“You won’t be in danger,” Galo responded with a flippant wave of his hand. “Not all humans are cruel. I promise. Just give us a chance.”

“I can’t. There’s too much at risk if it goes wrong.” He frowned, his brows furrowing, and pushed away from the surfboard. “I shouldn’t even be here.”

“No, wait!” Galo leaned forward to clasp at Lio’s hands once more. “I won’t talk to anyone if that’s what you want. Just don’t go.”

Lio clenched his teeth together, staring intently at Galo’s pleading face. His expression hardened. “What do you want from me?”

“What-?”

“To sell me to others? Fame? Money?”

“What? No, why would I do that?”

“Because that’s what humans do.” A fire lit within Lio’s gaze, burning with delicate anger.

  
  


“Just you wait!” Galo responded. “I’m going to prove you wrong about humanity, or my name’s not Galo Thymos!” He tilted his head and smirked. His hand clutched onto Lio’s captured palm. “You’re the most incredible thing that’s ever happened to me, Lio! And I’m going to prove myself to you!”

Lio’s eyebrows rose in surprise at the declaration. If Galo didn’t know any better, he could swear he saw a hint of red spreading over Lio’s cheeks. 

“Fine,” Lio stated. “But for now, it’s late. I need to go.”

“I’ll see you again, right?”

Lio hesitated only briefly before nodding. His hand slipped easily from Galo’s grasp “Meet me in two days by the rocks. Arrive before the sun sets and come alone.” 

“You got it!” Galo exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up.

Lio rolled his eyes at the antics, but the redness tinting his cheeks deepened. “Don’t disappoint me, Galo Thymos.” And with those simple words, he dove underwater with hardly a splash.

Galo slouched against his surfboard, his heart racing and excitement pulsing through his veins. He made a promise to himself, then and there, that he’d do whatever it takes to prove humanity to a merman.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to write MerGuiera and MerMeis, so I'm happy. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading! It honestly means the world to me. If you enjoyed, please leave a comment. Tell me your thoughts, what you would like to see!


	4. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past cuts deep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SUPER sorry for the delayed chapter. Work has been nuts lately, and it's drained a lot of my energy.
> 
> Thank you all for the kudos and comments! Each one energizes me to write more.
> 
> As for this chapter -- How about some backstory?

**16 Years Earlier**

A young girl leaned over the edge of her grandfather’s old boat, her arms outstretched as she waved the Ariel Mermaid doll above the ocean. She hummed a song that vaguely resembled something from a Disney movie, high pitched and off-key, but with all the conviction of a lovelorn princess. 

From the other side of the boat, her grandfather tied a new hook to his fishing line.. He glanced at her from behind fuzzy grey eyebrows. "For god's sake, Marnie, keep your life vest on!"

"It's uncomfortable!" The girl answered with a crinkle of her nose.

“Better uncomfortable than swimmin’ with the mermaids.”

It was the wrong argument to make. Marnie giggled.

“Sure, kid,” the grandfather said. “Laugh now. But when a sharped-tooth angler fish shows up to bite those skinny ankles, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now get that vest on before I tell your parents.” 

With a roll of her eyes, Marnie resigned herself to her vest-clad fate--

\--When a glitter of deep violet-blue within the water caught her attention. She blinked, pausing in her motions to focus on the indistinct shapes of water below her. Whatever was down there was just slightly too deep, too obscured by the ocean to be recognizable. Still, she leaned forward, squinting her eyes. 

There -- Another shimmer of reflective color!

A jewel perhaps? A rare fish? Her imagination roamed at the beautiful gleam of color that seemed almost mythical amongst the greys of the ocean water. 

And in that brief moment of distraction, her Ariel doll slipped from her fingers and landed, with a splash, into the water below.

Marnie gasped, her empty hand grasping toward the red hair that was bobbing with the waves. The air in the head of the doll was keeping it from sinking immediately, but with each passing second, a bubble escaped the jointed neck. She turned toward her grandfather to ask for help, but he was focused on reeling in his fishing line, which had caught a rather large fish yet again. All evening, he’d been catching fish and losing them at the last moment, so he wasn’t in the best of moods. He’d most likely yell at her for losing the doll.

Okay then, she could do this. Her attention landed on her grandfather’s bag, where the end of a back scratcher with a hooked metal bear claw caught her attention. Perfect. 

She snatched the tool and stretched out toward the sea, where her doll was steadily sinking. Just the forehead was bobbing above water. Her hand clutched onto the side of the boat as the other reached as far as it could, her tiny body stretching further and further even as the doll drifted in the current. She propped her knees against the boat, ignoring how it pressed painfully against her shin. Her fingers ached with the effort to keep her balanced.

The doll was completely submerged, the bright red hair teasing her beneath the surface.

In a panic, she tried to dip the metal claw into the ocean in a ditch-last effort. It was just enough force to cause her to lose her grip, her balance faltering, her body weight shifting, and with a splash, she landed in the cold ocean below.

Marnie knew how to swim. She’d learned last year in the safety of a YMCA pool. But pools were not oceans, and the water’s current swept her to the side and under. Her head spun. Her heart drilled a rhythm within her ears. Which way was up? She wildly flailed her arms, trying to remember the motions of swimming, but she merely spun in place, disorienting herself further. 

And suddenly, her attention was captured by a luminescent blue-violet nearby. She anchored herself to that color, ignoring the sting of saltwater in her eyes.

It took her a second before her brain processed what she was seeing:

A young male, hardly older than her from the looks of it, with long deep blue hair. He wore no clothing, merely a few simple accessories: A twine with smooth shells wrapped around his wrist and a brown crossbody bag. Most noticeable of all was the mer tail that consisted of his lower half. It had to be around 5 feet on its own. It reflected light like gemstones, shimmering and radiant, with scales that matched the ones on his side, shoulders, and neck.

He held the Ariel doll within his webbed hands. His lips quirked upward at the cartoonish green tail and human-like features so different from his own.

The merman was no Disney character; No, he wasn’t nearly as soft and kind-looking. However, he was still beautiful in his own right. 

Marnie wondered if she was dreaming. Her lungs burned. Bubbles tickled her nose and caught on her eyelashes. Had she made a noise?

With a jolt, the merman quickly turned his head toward her. His dark eyes widened and his lips parted as he examined her. And then he looked upward toward the boat before returning his attention to her.

Black spots danced within Marnie’s vision. Was she breathing? Was she a mermaid herself? What a dream that would be. Her hands and arms tingled like needles were pricking her skin. She was vaguely aware of her eyes blinking slowly, of her body going limp…

The last thing she registered with the fading remains of consciousness was the merman placing the doll in his bag and swimming towards her….

And then everything went dark.

*********************************

Meis had always been warned to never approach a human, and until that moment, he had always followed that rule. But at the rebellious age of 11, opportunity and curiosity were strong motivators. When a boat shadowed the surface nearby, he couldn’t resist the urge to approach it cautiously.

The humans were fishing, and Meis carefully circled the dangling lures with curiosity. He’d occasionally tug on the fishing lines and wait for a reaction. When the humans would attempt to reel in their bounty, he’d hang on long enough to tease them before releasing it altogether. 

It surprised him when the toy mermaid fell into the ocean. The doll was an amusing, though quite inaccurate, likeness to their kind – Electric red hair, a torso that was slightly too human, and a plastic green tail. Still, he was certain some of the young mer children would enjoy a toy that resembled them to that degree. They had nothing made like this in the water.

He was so focused on the doll that it surprised him, even more, when the little girl landed in the water soon after.

Meis stared at the sinking human, who met his gaze with equal amounts of shock. She had to be younger than him, certainly smaller. He wasn’t certain about human behavior – He’d never even encountered one in person before.

How long could she remain underwater? Already, bubbles were escaping her parted lips. Meis looked upwards, noting the distance from the surface. Dimly, he was aware of muffled shouts coming from above water. 

Perhaps it was best if he didn’t interfere and just left her there. After all, she could very well be a trap set to lure him in, much like the hooked fishing lines. How well could humans swim? Could she make it to air in time, to the other humans? 

It didn't take long before the little girl’s expression blanked. Her body went limp at the mercy of the ocean, arms floating upwards.

Immediately, Meis shoved the doubt from his head and darted to the girl’s aid. He swiftly circled her once just in case it was somehow a trick. He didn’t trust humans, but he also couldn’t allow a child to die in front of him. When she didn’t respond, he wrapped his arms around her small form and propelled upwards. The water’s surface broke with violent energy, water droplets flying from both their heads. He absently slung his long, wet hair from his face and examined the child in his arms.

Her eyes were closed, and her lips were turning a disturbing shade of blue. She wasn’t breathing.

Meis knew very little about human needs or how to revive them. He lightly shook her, bobbing her head from side to side. When that didn’t get a reaction, he patted her cheek a few times, harder each time, trying to wake her.

Frustrated and concerned, he slammed his palm against her back-- hard. A beat of silence. His fingers gripped into her arms, piercing the delicate skin there and causing rivulets of blood to trickle into the ocean.

All at once, the girl coughed, her muscles convulsing violently. She wheezed as her body struggled to expel the water from her lungs and pull in air.

 _“_ _Are you okay?_ ” Meis asked, in his own language.

The girl pried open her eyes, gasping all the while, to take in the image of her savior:

Of his pointed ears and deep blue eyes.

Of the boyish softness that still rounded his cheeks. 

Of the gills that marred his neck and the scales that dotted his shoulders, painting him otherworldly.

Fear and wonder warred in her expression. Her fingers lifted and twitched as though she wanted to reach out and touch him, to confirm this being was real and in front of her. Uncertainty stayed her hand.

“What the hell are you?”

The sudden gruff voice caused Meis to swing his head toward the intruder -- An older human male had managed to swim towards the two. Meis cursed his own carelessness. He knew better than to let his guard down!

The human brandished a knife before him, his hands trembling slightly. His blue eyes widened with shock as he too took in the inhuman details of the mer.

Meis opened his mouth to answer-- He knew certain phrases in English; it was taught to them at an early age, and he’d always been a swift learner. And yet, looking at this human, no words would come. He had never been the most conversational even in his own language; English was a complete blank.

Panic gripped his heart; he couldn’t think. His instincts were telling him to lash out at the hostile human and get the hell out of there -- But the little girl. He couldn’t go underwater; She’d drown. He had to get her to the shore where she’d be safe.

The man looked at the child in the mer’s arms. His thick grey eyebrows lowered in determination, his lips setting into a thin line. He moved towards them, the blade in his hand gleaming ominously.

At once, Meis bared his teeth and curled protectively around the girl in his arms. A deep growl rumbled deep in his throat. He didn’t quite notice that his nails had yet again pierced the skin of her arm, bring more blood to the surface.

The sudden threatening demeanor caused the girl’s fear to overwhelm her wonder. This was not a Disney character; this was something quite horrifying and dangerous. She cried out, flailing and pushing against his shoulder. Tears filled her eyes.

Meis blinked in surprise and loosened his grip on the child. Panic, anxiety, and confusion clouded his thoughts. _“Don’t worry. You’re okay,”_ he tried to tell her. But his words were alien and terrifying.

She screamed, and the loud, high pitched sound cut through his head like a drill. His eyes wrenched shut, his finned ears flattened back. He gritted his teeth as pain reverberated through his skull.

He was dimly aware of the girl’s body leaving his arms and splashing near him. The scream faded to a whimpering cry. 

Meis’ eyes cracked open to see the older man in front of him, cradling the sobbing child against his chest. The man lifted his knife into the air and, with a snarl, swung the blade down to cut vertically down the mer’s face, from his eyebrow, deep into his eye, and over his high cheekbone.

The pain shot through the side of his head, white hot and electric. Eyes wrenched shut, Meis dove for safety. The water caressed his skin, comforting compared to the harsh outside air. He swam blindly, deeper, further down. 

Surrounded by the dark depths of a cruel ocean, Meis curled against a rock at the ocean floor. Dread pooled in his stomach as he realized he couldn't see out of his injured eye. His fingers gingerly brushed against the wound, where it was frighteningly numb and still somehow aching. His hands came away red with blood. It would scar.

But only time would tell how much.

* * *

**Present Day**

Galo practically buzzed with excitement as he walked along the boardwalk strip. He actually had a plan for Operation Gain Lio’s Trust. Okay, maybe not a plan exactly. He wasn’t exactly the best at plans. His style was more of a…. Jump headfirst, fiery soul ablaze, and hope everything turned out okay.

It’s worked well in his favor so far.

Anyway. Operation Gain Lio’s Trust. Right. 

He had to prove that humans weren't so bad, which should be easy. After all, the boardwalk was filled with artists and musicians and inspiration of all types.

He winced as a couple of loud teenagers catcalled a woman and tossed their drinks in her general direction.

Well. Maybe he was giving humanity a bit too much credit.

Still, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find proof of humanity’s inherent goodness. And he knew exactly where to start!

The small, family-owned business at the edge of the boardwalk had been one of his favorites since he was a kid. It was small, easy to miss, and lacking in the garish, eye-catching shark displays of chain novelty shops that littered the area. 

What the store lacked in commercial shine, it made up for in personality. Upon stepping foot in the door, Galo was greeted by a wooden, life-size hand-carved sea captain, a head taller than the blue-haired man upon his plain pedestal. The paint had chipped slightly from age and from children touching the captain’s white coat. A written sign attached to its side declared, “Not For Sale!” 

The shop was disorganized in a charming, attic-y way.

A young woman with a mini-bang pixie cut leaned around a display of novelty keychains. “Afternoon! Welcome!” She then grinned wider. “Oh, Galo! It’s been a while.”

He returned her smile and lifted a hand in greeting. “Hey, Marnie!”

The waifish woman walked around the counter, her multicolor bohemian skirt flowing about her ankles. “So good to see you. You know, we got in a few new custom surfboards from local artists. You’ll love them.”

Galo rubbed the back of his head, lifting his eyes in a way that most would, admittedly, find charming. “Ah, well, I’m actually here for something else today. Do you have anything mermaid-related?” 

“We’re a beach-side tourist attraction. Of course we do.” She motioned for him to follow to the back of the store, where netting and painted shells decorated wooden display shelves. “I didn’t take you for a mermaid guy.”

“It’s a gift,” he responded, eyeing the selection of mermaid-themed stone statues, stationery, and glittery children’s toys.   
  
Marnie raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Someone special?” 

It was technically true-- Lio was unlike anyone Galo had ever met, so he absently hummed and nodded.

Most of the items were overly pastel or childish. Some on the top shelves featured topless mermaids in risque positions, some waving pirate flags, some guarding gold and beer. Galo frowned. “It needs to be nice,” he said. “Nothing ridiculous.”

Marnie laughed. “I think you’re in the wrong store for that. Here, what about this?” She pointed to a hand-painted music box.

“Nah. That would be ruined in water.”

She raised her eyebrow as though to ask, _What does that have to do with anything?_ but said nothing.

“This,” he announced as he picked up a small, bronze mermaid statue. It was elegant with minimum colors. The mermaid sat within an open giant clam and held a pearl within her hands, head bowed reverently. Seeing this would show Lio that humanity actually liked the merpeople, that the humans told stories of them and carved sculptures in their image. Galo lifted it carefully, noting the heavy weight that would keep it from sweeping away into the ocean. Yes, that would do.

“I can do gift wrapping for you if you’d like.”

“Yeah, that would be great.”

With a nod, she collected the statue’s box from under the display and returned to the register.

An older man with thick grey hair entered from the back room, his arms loaded down with boxes. “Jesus, I don’t even know why we stock these things,” he announced to no one in particular. “No one even buys books anymore.” He struggled to close the door with his foot. 

“Here, let me help,” Galo said. He took nearly all of the boxes, lifting them one-handed with ease. “Where do you want these?”

“Thank you, young man! Behind the counter please.” He navigated Galo to the cash register, where Marnie was pulling out wrapping paper. The boxes were arranged in what little free space remained.

Marnie asked, “Can you ring him up while I finish this wrapping, Granddad? He got one of the small mermaid statues. $34.99”

The old man mumbled something that wasn’t quite an answer, but moved to the register nonetheless.

Galo pulled out his wallet. “So uh, your family’s been in the area for a while, huh?”

“For generations,” the old man answered, lifting his head with pride. “This business here was started by my grandfather when the boardwalk was little more than a few planks and fishing boats.”

“I guess you guys have heard a lot of stories then, huh? Have you heard anything about actual mermaids in the area?”

The man’s eyes widened. Marnie froze with a piece of tape in her hand, turning to Galo with an exasperated expression that read, ‘Oh no, now you’ve done it.’

“I know all about mermaids,” the man said, his lip curling up in disgust. “And they look nothin’ like those maidens over there.” He motioned to the back wall. “Mermaids are sharp-toothed animal creatures that lure humans to their deaths. People want to believe they’re these sweet things that fall in love with princes, but the old sailors had it right. They’re monsters just waiting to drown anyone they can get their claws on.”

Galo stared at the man with raised eyebrows. “Why do you say that?”

“Because,” Marnie answered, placing a hand on her grandfather’s shoulder, “When I was a kid, I fell in the water and almost drowned. Granddad jumped in to save me and thought he saw a mermaid with me.” Her eyes rolled upwards with a subtle shake of her head.

“I know what I saw!” the man responded, frowning at his granddaughter’s blase attitude on the subject. “That thing pulled you into the water. It growled at us! You saw it too.”

“I was nine years old and obsessed with Ariel. You could have told me mermaids were living in our pool, and I would have believed you.”

“The thing was holding you.”

She pulled away with a groan and returned to her wrapping paper. “I was half dead. I don’t know what I saw.”

Galo blinked at what was obviously an old argument. His mouth suddenly felt dry. “Maybe you were mistaken?” he said. “Maybe it wasn’t trying to hurt either of you.”

The old man grunted. “It tried to attack me, and Marnie here still has the scars to prove it. Show him, Marnie.”

She audibly groaned and lifted her arm. Four thin, faint scars in the distinct shape of claw marks decorated her forearm.

“Say what you will,” the old man said, pointing his finger at Galo to emphasize his point. “But there are blood-thirsty creatures out there in those waters. And if you ask me, that’s why there are so many dead people and sunk boats found out there lately. It’s not some serial killer. They’re mermaids, and you’d do well to stay away from those waters.”

Galo quietly removed money from his wallet, uncharacteristically quiet as he processed the information. None of it lined up with his experience with Lio. Well, nothing except the description. But Lio didn’t seem particularly violent or bloodthirsty, and the other mermaid he’d encountered seemed primarily frightened. Could he be mistaken? The bandages wrapped around his injured arm suddenly felt tight. 

Marnie ran a knife along a ribbon, causing it to curl neatly in place atop the seashell-adorned gift wrap and box. “I hope your special friend enjoys the gift.” She grinned and winked.

A blush deepened across Galo’s face as he realized just what he had unintentionally implied. 

As he left the small store with a neatly wrapped gift in his arms, Galo was determined to make sense of what he was hearing -- And to perhaps look further into the mystery surrounding the deaths in the waters. 

After all, he was seeing Lio tomorrow, and Lio would have to know about the deaths. Perhaps he could offer insight? 

But all that was secondary to his plan, which was simply to spend some time with the mysterious merman. And honestly, he couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have some more Galo/Lio interactions next chapter! Any thoughts on what's causing the deaths. Hmmm. The plot deepens.
> 
> I hope you're all enjoying this still! Leave a review if you are! I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner rather than later.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment. I'm not sure if I'll write more -- I do have ideas on where to take this. If you do want to read more of this story, though, please let me know. If there's interest, I'll continue.


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